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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Black Bottle - Blended Scotch Whisky, has made a bold
appointment for its newly created position of Global Ambassador with the highly
respected and well-renowned Scottish bar expert Mal Spence taking up the reins.
The Burn Stewart-owned whisky brand is on an ambitious roll-out plan to ensure
it becomes the blended Scotch whisky of choice for the world’s best bartenders.With more than 15 years experience tending, managing and
building up the reputation of some of Scotland’s best bars, Mal brings with him
a wealth of knowledge and inspiration that will help the brand achieve its
aims. Mal has a close connection with Black Bottle, having created the whisky’s
key simple serves and working with bartenders around the world to develop more
complex cocktails.

Mal Spence - Black Bottle's First Global Ambassador

During his career, Mal’s expertise and influence has been
recognised with a number of awards and accolades – he is the only Scottish
bartender ever to make the Havana Club Grand Prix World Final; a former SLTN
Mixologist of The Year two years running; winner of Maxxium’s Liquid War
competition; and industry bible Class Magazine bestowed the 2011 Best Bar Menu
award for Mal’s work at the Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow.In addition to his role with Black Bottle, which will see
him visiting key markets around the world, Mal will continue to direct
operations at the much-feted Kelvingrove Café in Glasgow, winner of the Best
Cocktail Bar at the 2013 Scottish Bartenders Network Awards, which he helped
establish in 2013.Plans for taking Black Bottle to new audiences in its key
markets around the world are well underway. The inspirational story of its
creator, Gordon Graham, the striking new-look packaging first unveiled last
year and the flexibility of its liquid in creating a vast array of serves,
ensures Mal has a credible and quality product to present to key influencers in
these markets.Commenting on his appointment, Mal Spence said: “The Black
Bottle Ambassador job really shone out as an opportunity I just couldn’t say no
to. The story of its creation and the life of Gordon Graham is a truly
inspiring one among so many in Scotch whisky history and it will be a big part
of the exciting and informative education plan we create for bartenders and
passionate drinkers around the world.It
is all in keeping with the inspiring stories I have looked for when developing
numerous drinks menus over the years. Blended Scotch whisky has been unjustly
forgotten by many bartenders in recent years and with its liquid profile and
striking presentation, I’m confident we can encourage bartenders and drinks
enthusiasts to reconsider the category and put Black Bottle into their speed
rails.”Welcoming the appointment, Marco Di Ciacca, Global Marketing
Manager, Black Bottle said: “It is a real coup to secure a man of Mal’s
standing as our first brand ambassador. For Black Bottle to succeed, we need to
be more relevant to today’s drinker. Mal’s approach to creating drinks and
all-round knowledge of the on-trade will really help us engage the bartenders
around the world who are the gate-keepers to many of these drinkers as we
expand in many new markets.”Having set the standard and re-energised the tradition of
hotel bars with his award-winning work at Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow
from 2009, Mal has become a leading figure of the Scottish bar industry.Mal will start his visits to key markets in
September and report into Marco Di Ciacca, Black Bottle Global Marketing
Manager.Source: Steely Fox